Dyche's delight as Clarets go top with Gray brace

Chris Boden

Clarets boss Sean Dyche praised his side's reaction after coming from behind to win at Bolton, and take over at the top of the Championship.

Burnley trailed to a Liam Feeney goal with 20 minutes remaining, but, despite not being near their best, they levelled within four minutes through Andre Gray, who went on to score the winner with five minutes left - his 20th goal of the season.

The three points took Burnley above Hull at the top, and Dyche said: "I think the way the game mapped out, Lenny (Neil Lennon) will be frustrated, because the difference between the two sides in the table wasn't on show, although, to be fair to Bolton, if you look at their home record, it's been away that has been their real challenge - at home they've been strong.

"They've only lost three until today and haven't conceded a lot.

"We weren't expecting it to be, by any means, a walk in the park, you just turn up and win - that doesn't happen in the Championship.

"Overall I'm obviously delighted, because we were off our performance levels and still won, and that's what you have to do sometimes in the Championship, in all of football, but definitely in the Championship."

Burnley are renowned for their strong mentality, and Dyche added: "Ian Holloway told me in private in the manager's room a couple of years ago, 'your lads have got an unbelievably strong chin' and he mentions it a lot now because the mentality is so firm here.

"I appreciate it doesn't guarantee you an outcome like that, but it gives you a whole better chance.

"I can imagine when I watch that back in the cold light of day with no noise, you'll see out reaction to their goal is pretty calm. It's 'get the ball lads, let's get on with it.'

"It's gone immediately. We talk to the players a lot about it, focus, refocus, what's the focus now? To go and grip the game.

"And we were better after that. We scored, it levelled out again, we scored again and they're throwing everything forward.

"But it's frustrating sometimes football, and it will be for Lenny. Overall they had the feel of the game, not necessarily all the chances, but the feel, they attacked and had us on the back foot, but we do all of the not-so-pretty stuff very well.

"You have to do that in the Championship, it's tough going home and away every week in games. And we've made a good marker of that so far, it's only a so far story though."

Gray had gone four games without a goal, but, after netting both in a 2-0 win at home to Wanderers earlier in the season, he bagged another double: "I thought Vokesy was excellent again, he had a hand in the first goal with some calmness, secures it on the edge of their box after some good play from Dave Jones, plays it wide and Matt Lowton's put in a great ball. It was a fantastic reaction finish from Andre, and a great save, and he's on it as poachers do.

"His second is sublime. That goal is good enough to win any match.

"A great ball from Freddie, his take from an awkward position, drags it through, gets his shoulder in and what a strike that is.

"Either foot for Andre. He's got that fearlessness, he hits them, some weeks they don't go in, it doesn't bother him, he just gets on with it and goes 'I'll have another one lads'.

"Absolutely sublime. That's why I paid £32.5m for him.

"It's gone up three and a half..."

And Dyche isn't overthinking taking over at the top with 12 games remaining: "Its enjoyable for the fans, but I've been in the game all my life and I know it's a 'so far' story.

"There's a lot of work to be done, and it's not because I'm playing it down, it's just a fact.

"Our fans were amazing again. They'll enjoy it. The patience from them, the calmness, they've seen our team come back in games, they know how we operate, and the players will enjoy tonight.

"Tomorrow they recover and then we're back into work and we start planning for the next game and do all the good things we do in order to be ready again."